1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lighting fixture, and more particularly to a lighting fixture specifically adapted for use in association with modular office furniture.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A great variety of lighting fixtures have been provided in the prior art. More particularly, in the field of non-permanently attached lighting fixtures, principal attention was focused in the prior art on the mode of attachment of the fixture to a desk, workbench, or the like, and on the capability of the lighting fixture to be subjectively adjusted by a user for optimal illumination of the desk or workbench.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,940 issued to Dudy describes a desk lamp which has a flat, broad magnetic base. The base is usable in a conventional manner to support the lamp on a horizontal surface, such as a desk top. The base, due to its magnetic nature, may also be used to attach the lamp to a vertically disposed ferromagnetic surface, or to suspend the lamp in a hanging position form a horizontally disposed ferromagnetic surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,000 issued to Nitardy describes a lighting fixture or lamp, having a base which is mechanically clampable to an edge of a desk top, workbench top or the like. The lighting fixture includes a two-part substantially horizontally disposed lamp housing attached to the posts. Each post of the lamp housing incorporates a fluorescent light tube and is pivotable in a horizontal plane. As a result, a desired angular positioning of the two fluorescent light tubes relative to one another and the desk top may be adjusted by a user.
Additional disclosures relating to adjustable or removable lighting fixtures may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,809,281; 2,131,708; 1,934,902; 4,161,767; 1,757,346; 4,197,573; 2,089,419; 4,136,377 and 2,998,508.
Recently, the increasing need for efficient and economic utilization of office space has resulted in increasing the acceptance and use of removable and rearrangeable modular partition walls, modular furniture and shelving. Such modular partition walls and related modular office equipment are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,185,430; 4,176,889; 4,070,803; 4,056,297; and 4,102,095. As appreciated by those skilled in the art, the aforementioned use of modular partition walls and modular office furniture and the rapidly increasing cost of electrical energy enhanced the need for lighting fixtures which are easily movable, attachable to modular office furniture and individually adjustable to efficiently illuminate a desired area. The lighting fixture of the present invention is designed to satisfy this need.